Falcons Fall to Broncos 27-7 in Preseason Matchup

ATLANTA — It was a tough night offensively for the Atlanta Falcons as they fell 27-7 to the Denver Broncos Friday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

With several of Atlanta’s key starters sitting out, including quarterback Michael Penix Jr., running back Bijan Robinson and safety Jessie Bates III, the Falcons used the preseason matchup to get an extended look at players battling for roster spots.

Denver controlled the game early, jumping out to a 7-0 lead on a one-yard touchdown run by Audric Prentice. The Broncos added a 43-yard field goal from Wil Lutz before Jarrett Stidham connected with Jaleel McLaughlin for a five-yard touchdown to make it 17-0.

Things went from bad to worse for Atlanta late in the second quarter.

Broncos defensive back Jahdae Barron intercepted Cooper Rush and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown, sending Denver into halftime with a commanding 24-0 advantage.

Atlanta’s offense struggled to find any rhythm throughout the night. Rush completed just 7 of 19 passes for 62 yards with two interceptions. Tua Tagovailoa completed 3 of 5 passes for 22 yards, while Jalon Jones Strand went 6-of-12 for 50 yards. As a group, Falcons quarterbacks finished with 134 passing yards and no touchdowns.

The Falcons finally got on the board late in the third quarter after the defense gave the offense a short field. Strand capped a five-play, 17-yard drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown, cutting Denver’s lead to 24-7.

Kyle Pitts led Atlanta with three catches for 22 yards, while Chris Blair added two receptions for a team-high 37 yards. Nick Muse caught two passes for 13 yards, and Jack Simon finished with two catches for 29 yards.

The running game didn’t provide much relief. Atlanta finished with only 59 rushing yards on 23 attempts, averaging 2.6 yards per carry. Tyler Goodson led the Falcons with 28 yards on seven carries.

Denver held a clear advantage across the stat sheet, outgaining Atlanta 359-192 while recording 24 first downs compared to the Falcons’ 11. The Broncos also controlled the clock for 36:20 and converted both of their red-zone opportunities into touchdowns. Atlanta went just 4-of-15 on third down and punted eight times.

The final score may not mean much in the preseason standings, but the film certainly will. For Atlanta, the night was less about the players who didn’t suit up and more about the ones trying to make their case before roster decisions get tougher.

And after a 27-7 loss, there will be plenty for the Falcons to clean up before their next preseason test.